Omaha daily bee., 1887-05-31
VICTIMS OF THE TRENENS,
A Pathetic Night Scene at Bellevue Hos.
pitsl
THEY TOOK AN INVENT DRY
The onc-Lecged Mans Opinion-Men
Who Come Regularly for Treat.
ment-The "Soaking Out"
Process.

New York Commercial Advertiser:
The gray light of morning was strug-
Cling through the mist that hangs round
the East river every night now when the
wind don't blow The streets are most
deserted at that hour, and up around the
big gloomy walls of Bellevue hospital
and the cheerless precincts OF the
it didn't seem rs though there
was any more human life anywhere than
there was IN those twenty-eight grim
collins laid out side by side in that low
building out over the water. There was
somebody alive in that part of the city,
though, for after while there came the
sharp clatter Of hoofs down Twenty
sixth street and cab shot out of the mist
and ran at rafting pace through the
open gate of the hospital, up to the broad
steps that lead to the office. The driver
got down and whisted sharply on his
fingers, and heavy set man, with one
leg, u crutch and a kindly looking face,
stumped out of the basement door. He
looked in at the cab window and shook
his head Then he whlstled on his fingers,
came out ana stood about the cab door.
The one-legged man opened the cab
door. and by degrees pair of legs, en-
trousers and kicking wildly, came into
view. One of the stout attendants grab.
bed each leg, and by and by, assisted
somewhat unsteadiiy by two rather dis
hcveled gentlemen IN the cab, they drew
out the gentleman to whom the legs be-
loneed and set him, whirlng his arms
around like wound-up au,omaton, on
his feet He was or had been rather
preposcssing looking young man. His
mond pin glittered in his scarf ard
gold watch peeped ont of his pocket. He
had yellow halr tossed all about his un-
bonneted head and his eyes had fiery
rms and glared franticallv around HIM.
He tottered about unsteadily for a mo-
ment, and then whooped with all his
might;
vigor. Take it away! Don't you see
it's mad: Look out;it going to bite me!
My God! There's two of them now! and
shivering and crouchlng, he clung pitt
fully to one of the unsteady gentlemen
by his side.
legged one; and the attendants, grasping
the struggling victlm, threw him on
their shoulders and bore him in the base
ment door. II
The one.legged man skipped nimbly
after HIM, and gong behind big stand
ing desk in one corner, opened book
and prepared to wnte.
TAKING ANIlNvENToRY.
"Phat's he got Moike?" he said with a
pronounced Harlem accent.
Moike's big hand went into the howl
ing young mans trousers pockets.
Wan of them silver match safes, q
brass kay, by the powers, pool chick,
an that's awl, ccptin' this super an the
sparkler here. BY me soul, not a clnt,
and mind the togs he's got on, will
ye?" ls..
The one-legged man entered the inven-
tory rapidly in the big books, putting
down one gold watch for the
'supeE' of the unettered Mike,
and one diamond ring for his
'sparkler. Then he wrapped the ef
fects up, and marked the parcel and put
it into the safe.
The attendants shouldered the young
man again and bore HIM, still beseeching
them with shrieks of terror to take it
away" or "shoot it, somebody shoot it"
through the basement out into the little
plot of ground in the hospital inclosure
that in the summer takes on doubtful
green, uOWH luto aHotiei paSellicul " d
door, where they knocked with their
toes. A little, old white headed man
with trembling hands and clean-shaven
face opened the door and led the process
sion into his room, where he had had
many such procession before. 1t was
long sort of corridor with wooden.
barred cells opening out OF
it on both sides. There
were some. stout wooden bars
ali nf fbn,
had been hammered and some had been
gnawed. They did not look very pretty.
Some staring gentlemen who were loung-
ing nervously about the settees at the fur
ther end of the room in various stages of
dishabille and convalescence, had at one
time or another taken their turns at the
gnawing and hammering, though they
looked harmless enough then. One of
them wore light and airy attire con-
and pair of trousers that it is to be
hoped had seen better days. He was sit
ting next to a rather refined looking
patient in Prince Albert coat and dark
trousers, who was twitching his hands
and smackiug his lips incessantly.
The attendants bore their burden into
the little wooden barred cell near the
door The old man whipped out a broad
| leather belt with two steel handouts fixed
III IL Stuu ~ SlcCi A'iss .eoeShO' bOiihu'
| The attendants took off the young mans
coat and vest in jiiiy, Slipped the belt
around his waist and forced his strug,
| Cling hands into the steel handouts.
| Then they passed broad leather thong
through the steel ring in the back of the
belt and strapped the young man down
| to the bed. The old man came up just
then and poured soothing dram from a
bottle down the young mans throat.
After while he stopped yelling and
of0ppsp ABOUT orr "a 1scohpo.h steSpih PATIENTS.
The onelegged man mopped his fore
head vigorously with red handker
chief, and said "whoor" like a man who
had done his hard work faithfully, but is
little tired of it,
"How many alchoholic patients have
you had in here tonight" asked the re
porter, who had followed the procession
from the doorway.
"That makes Thirteen. They were
brought in by friends, and the rest came
IN the ambulance. That's fair nights
work for such cases.
"Do many people bring suffering
friends here who have homes of theil
own," slh
Lots of them. oAlany of them ar,
wealthy people, too, And could afford tC